1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gaming devices and, more particularly, to a gaming device and method for operating gaming devices.
2. Background
Gaming devices are well known in the art and a large variety of gaming devices have been developed. In general, gaming devices allow users or players to play a game. In many casino-type gaming devices, the outcome of the game depends, at least in part, on a randomly generated event. For example, a gaming device may use a random number generator to generate a random or pseudo-random number (for convenience, these numbers will be referred to jointly as “random numbers”). The random number may then be compared to a predefined table to determine the outcome of the event. If the random number falls within a certain range of numbers on the table, the player may win a predefined prize. The table may also contain display information that allows the gaming device to generate a display that corresponds to the outcome of the game. The gaming device may present the outcome of the game on a large variety of display devices, such as mechanical spinning reels or video screens.
Some gaming devices award bonus prizes in addition to prizes that are awarded in the primary game. A bonus prize is generally defined as an additional prize that is awarded to the player when a predefined event occurs. An example of a bonus game can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,932 issued to Adams. One of the gaming devices described in this document has a primary game having three spinning game reels and a bonus game having a bonus display with one spinning wheel. The spinning wheel is divided into multiple sections, and each section has a symbol representing a prize. When predetermined indicia are displayed on the spinning game reels of the primary game, the wheel of the bonus display spins and stops. The bonus prize is displayed as the symbol on the wheel being pointed to by a pointer. The bonus prize is awarded in addition to any prizes awarded in the primary game.
A variety of visual and game play enhancements have been made to increase the appeal of gaming devices to players. Examples of some enhancements include bonus displays, additional reels, multiple pay lines, and progressive jackpots. Such enhancements have had some success in generating initial player interest and, to some extent, encouraging players to play longer. However, if players play a gaming device for too long without winning anything, they often will get discouraged and stop gaming or move on to another machine.
There are at least two factors that influence how often a gaming device will pay out, or “hit.” First, there is the “pay back” percentage of the slot machine. The pay back percentage determines how much money that is gambled is returned to players in the form of prizes and how much money is kept by the game proprietor. For example, a gaming device may have a pay back percentage of 97%. This means that, for every $100 put into the gaming device, $97 will be paid back to players as prizes, while $3 will be kept by the house. Gaming devices with higher pay back percentages are referred to as being “loose.” Gaming devices with lower pay back percentages are referred to as “tight.”
However, the hit frequency often has a greater affect on how often a gaming device will pay out. Some gaming devices have a high hit frequency, meaning that they pay out prizes relatively often. Other gaming devices have a low hit frequency and pay out prizes relatively less often. Two gaming devices can have the same payback percentage, but have very different hit frequencies. The difference, in practice, is often a gaming device that pays a relatively large number of small prizes versus a machine that pays a smaller number of larger prizes.
The payback percentage of a gaming device is typically controlled in game machine hardware or firmware and cannot be changed without replacing a portion of the gaming device. Gaming devices are typically designed this way to comply with government regulations. Unlike what many players believe, casinos generally are not able to “tighten” or “loosen” gaming devices at will.
Similarly, many players believe that gaming devices run in streaks. For example, they may think because a gaming device has to have a certain payback percentage, a gaming device that has not hit in awhile may be due and ready to hit. Similarly, they may be reluctant to play a gaming device that has just paid off, thinking that gaming device now will not payoff for some time. In fact, in most gaming establishments, the result of each play on a gaming device is completely independent from previous plays.
No matter what other enhancements are made to gaming devices, players will often get frustrated if they think the gaming device they are playing has hit a “cold streak” and is not paying out. They may play a different gaming device, or stop playing altogether, if they become too frustrated or bored. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a means to encourage players to continue playing even if they have had several consecutive losing rounds of game play.
Various efforts have been made to make gaming devices more interesting and entertaining to players. For example, some attempts have been made to alter the method of operation of the gaming device. Japanese patent publication 05003943 A purports to disclose changing the rotation speed of a mechanical slot machine reel. Japanese patent publication 2001046588 A purports to suggest stopping the mechanical reels of a slot machine, and then moving at least one reel in a normal or reverse manner prior to determining a game outcome. Japanese patent publication 09000686 A appears to suggest a similar manner of slot machine operation. These references appear to apply only to the movement of the reels of a gaming device during a game round, prior to the display of the final game outcome.
Other efforts have apparently focused on providing player input devices as a means of increasing player interest and excitement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,291 to Hooker purports to disclose a game device where a player may direct the reels of a game machine to advance one position prior to carrying out a game round. Alternatively, the player is purportedly allowed to direct selected reels not to spin during the next game round. This feature appears to be available to the player before every round of game play and appears to only move the gaming device reels in one manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,339 to Okada and U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,647 to Okada et al. purport to provide a “stop” button that a player may activate to stop rotation of gaming device reels. In one embodiment, it appears that Okada may suggest making the “stop” button active only after the reels have reached a predetermined speed of rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,835 to Dietz, II purports to suggest an electronic slot machine that allows a player to re-spin one or more reels in order to change the outcome of a previous game round. It appears that this feature results in a new game outcome and only utilizes one manner of reel movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,401 to Crawford purports to suggest method for operating a slot machine that allows a player to save one or more symbols from previous games and use them to replace symbols in a subsequent game. It appears that the method purportedly suggested by Crawford may affect the outcome of the game and utilizes one manner of reel movement.
It would be beneficial to provide gaming devices and methods of operating gaming device that move game outcome indicators, such as mechanical reels, in a first manner during game play and a second manner in between game rounds. It would also be beneficial to provide gaming devices and methods for operating gaming devices that move game outcome indicators in between game rounds without altering, or producing, a game outcome.